Who'll be the next in line?

Paul Berendt has announced his resignation as Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. It's time, perhaps past time, but it's a mid-term resignation, so his would-be successors, at least those outside his circle of confidence, were caught a bit by surprise.

Still, there's no lack of aspirants. Andrew has an overview of the field - some of the usual suspects from the last round (Greg Rodriguez and Kat Overman), a couple of District Chairs, and some pols who find themselves out of office after recent elections.

Among the latter group, Dwight Pelz may appear to be the powerhouse - past State Senator and King County Councilmember and most recently a candidate for Seattle City Council. Former State Rep. Mike Cooper, though, who tried to make the jump to statewide office with a run for Commissioner of Public Lands, is best known as a career firefighter, but for Mike a significant part of that career has been union activism. Beyond that is his personal activity as a longtime Party activist. Along the way, he helped make the Shoreline firefighters a political force stronger than their numbers might suggest and demonstrated a knack for finding roads to victory for Democrats in some not always friendly suburban precincts. Cooper's own political instincts are sharp, and his efforts have enhanced the stature and influence of both the IAFF and the Democratic Party. Along the way, he maintained a strong record of professional achievement as well, rising through the ranks to become a leader of his department as well as his community.

No endorsement here, not yet, but a head's up. State Chairs can make a difference, and this is an important choice for our Party. Like Mike Cooper, all of the candidates probably have qualities not readily apparent from their surface appeal (or lack thereof). I'll be especially watchful for outreach from the candidates to the thriving northwest blogosphere.

More to come on this, I'm sure.